Reversible handbag



July 6, 1937. J. EL GoLDBERG REVERSIBLE HANDBAG Filed Nov. 25, 1935' l l l INVENTOR James E. Goldberg gal.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE aosasze REVERSIBLE HANDBAG James E. Goldberg, New York, N. y. i Application- November 23, 1935, Serial No. 51,234l

11 claims.

This invention relates to ladies handbags and ladies muis, and more particularly to a reversible combination of both.

' One object of my invention -is to provide a handbag finished in contrasting materials or colors and reversible in structure to bring either of the materials on the outside of the bag. l

Considered in another'aspect, an objectof my .invention resides in theprovision of a reversible muil. the said mui embodying two different materials contrasting in nature, color, or the like, the muil` being reversible to bring either of the two materials on the outside.

Still another object of my invention resides in l5 the provision of a combined muif and handbag which is reversible to bring either of two contrasting materials on the outside, as aforesaid.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other more particular objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the muff and handbag elements, and their relation one to another, as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. 'Ihe specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined mufi and handbag embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 shows the same when opened out to fiat Condition;

Fig. 3 is a section through the handbag, taken in the plane of the line 3--3` of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view explanatory of the construction of the bag, this section being taken in the plane of the line 4-'4 in Figs. 2 and 3; 'and Fig. 5 is a detailof a clasp or fastener which may be used with the handbag.

Referring to the drawing, the invention, considered in one aspect, comprises a ladys handbag having two main pockets I2 and I4, best shown in Fig. 3, these pockets being closed on -three sides but accessible on the top or fourth side, as is indicated at I6 and I8. The pockets may be closed by any suitable fastener or closure means, here exemplified by a snap fastener 28 on pocket I2, and a slide fastener 22 on pocket I4. The handbag includes av third pocket which is more in the nature of an open-ended space or passageway 24. When the bag is constructed of light materials suitable for summer use, this central passage 24 is useful to receive gloves or similar objects which are not readily lost and which it is inconvenient to place in pockets I2 and I4, the latter being used for change purse,

cosmetics, and the like.

(Cl. H6).

Considered in another aspect, lthe structure lmay be made o! relatively heavy warm mate.

rials for winter use, and then constitutes a-muff v .the center passage 24 of'which receivesand protects the hands of the wearer.

or/and handbag construction is its .reversibility,` ,10

thereby doubling the utility of the same in match-v ing or completing ladies ensembles. l'I'o this end, the structureA is made of contrasting materials, for example, a fur or pile fabric simulating fur, indicated at 26 in thev drawing, and a l5 v appearance or/and color of the'muff. In other words, theV material 28 around the passage 24 heretofore referred to, is not merely 'a lining materm but isitself a fabric or other material suit- 25 able for use as the exterior of the muif. y

Considering the arrangement in greater detail,

the materials 26 and 28 are patterned to a suit-l able shape, somewhat as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and are stitched together in back to 30 back relation at the side edges 32, thus forming a sleeve which is open at the ends I6 and I8. The stitching at the edges 32 is preferably concealed turned stitching, land itjwill be understood that in practice the materials 26 and 28 may be 35 placed face to face and stitched along edges 32, after which the resulting sleeve may be turned right side out. Where, as in the present case, the structure is warmly built for use as a muff, it is desirable to provide suitable filler or padding 40' materials, preferably bulky Warm flannel. In the present case two layers of flannel are provided, one indicated at 36 just'inside the material 26, and the other` indicated at 38 just inside thematerial 28. The fillers 36 and 38 arepref- 45 erably stitched in place in the regular course of manufacture, as by placing these fillers on the outside when materials 26 and 28 are assembled face to face, all four layers of material being stitched throughby the edgestitching. Mani- 50 festly, when the resulting sleeve is turned insideout, the filling materials 36 and 38 are brought on the inside of the sleeve, asis clearly evident from inspection of Fig. 4.

The pockets I2 and Il may be formed of silk 55 are peripherally stitched together by lines of l stitching indicated at 46 in the drawing. It will be noted on inspection of Fig. 3 that the edge of the pocket is hemmed or turned inwardly before the stitching operation in order to present a nished appearance. y

Pocket I4 is constructed in` a manner generally similar to pocket I2, but in this case I ve shown a small extra pocket 48 stitched on the. inside of the pocket wall 58. It will be understood that any desired number and arrangement of subordinate pockets may be provided in order to receive a small hand mirror, cosmetics, or the like. These pockets are all formed on the pocket walls before the pocket is inserted in the end I8 of the main sleeve.

Another feature illustrated by pocket I4 is the preferred manner of applying a slidefastener for closing the same.` On inspection of Fig. 3, it will be noted that the tapes 52 of slide fastener 22 are substantially concealed within plaits or reverse folds of the pocket material,

indicated at 54. The stitching 56 which secures the slide fastener tapes in place passes through the folds or plaits 54 as Well as the slide fastener tape. This stitching operation is, of course,

preferably performed prior to stitching the mouth of the pocket by the lines of stitching 58, and it is therefore readily possible not only to make the necessary fold or plait in the, material -of the pocket, but also to prevent the stitching 56 from passing through the outside materials 26 and 28. The Walls of pocket are hemmed or turned inwardly prior to stitching at 58, just as in the case of pocket I2.

In order to provide for reversibly folding the resulting sleeve to bring either the material 26 or the material 28 on the outside, it is necessary to secure the ends I6 and I8 together by reversible fastening means. In the present case, I fulfil this desideratum in a simple manner by providing eyelets 60 at or near the corners of the sleeve, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. I further provide clasps 62 one of which is clearly shown in Fig. 5. This clasp is in the form of a large tubular ring having a solid section or tongue 64 slidable in the tubular ring againsta suitable spring tending normally to close the ring. Section 64 may be slipped back in the ring by a small knob 66. The clasp is much like that* used on watch chains, necklaces, or the like, but of course is much larger in size and is dimensioned to pass through two adjacent eyelets 60 when the sleeve is doubled or folded upwardly to the form indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. A small decorative bead 68 may, if desired, be suspended from ring 62 in order to improve the appearance of the bag. It will be understood without further comment, that to reverse the bag, it is simply necessary to remove the clasps 62 and to fold the sleeve in opposite direction, thereupon replacing the clasps 62.

Some further details may merit attention. Inasmuch as the structure is held in folded condition only at the ends thereof (although additional intermediate fastening means may, of course, be employed), it is desirable to stiften or reinforce the ends of the sleeve so that the bag 60, .all preferably pass through the stiffening or reinforcements 10 as well as some of the fabric. The ends of the materials 26 and 28 are turned inwardly about the cardboards 10 prior to stitching at 46 and 58, this being evident upon ,inspection of Fig. 3.

In order not to make the bag excessively bulky at the top, the lining materials 36 and 38 preferably terminate short of the cardboard inserts 10, as is indicated at 14 in Fig. 3.

Where a fur or imitation fur material is used, as in the case of the material 26, it is desirable to have the pile extend in. one direction on both sides of the bag. For this reason, the outside 26 is preferably not made of a single piece of material, but is instead made of two pieces of material stitched together by a seam or line of stitching 'I6 at the bottom of the bag. In this manner the pile may be similarly directed on both sides. y

Of course, when the material does not have a pile, a single piece of material may be used, and this is-the case with the material 28 which is an ordinary woolen fabric. In the present case, the arrangement of the material 28 differs from that of the fur 26 in another respect, namely, in that the end portions 12 are pieces cut separately from the main center portion 28, and the ends of the center portion 28 are brought to -reduced dimension by a series of tiny folds indicated at 18, this construction being sometimes referred `to as shirring. The contrast between the fiat and shirred parts of the fabric, the decorative shape given the end parts 12, andv the presence of a folded shoulder at 18', all enhance the attractiveappearance of the muli` when the material 28 is outermost.

The accessibility of the pockets I2 and I4 may be and preferably is increased by opening the corners of the sleeve at the cardboard inseits. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the eyelets 60 are not located at the extreme corners, but instead are moved inwardly to the r-inner rather than the outer corners of the cardboard inserts. 'I'he edges between the true corner of the sleeve and the eyelets are left open, as is indicated by the turned-back corner portion 80 in the drawing. The resulting separation or gap is also clearly evident at 82 in Fig. l. To produce this separation it is simply necessary to treat a part of the side edge, say one inch, as a continuation of the top edge, the lines of stitching 46 and 58, for example, being extended to or carried around the side edge,4 as shown.

` It is believed that the mode of constructing and using, as Well as the many advantages of my` improved mui or/and handbag, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. 'I'he muif is smart and attractive in appearance, yet is practical and warm. It dispenses with the necessity for carrying a handbag, because ample and commodious pockets are formed directly within the muff. Most important of all, the muif is reversible, thus bringing either of two contrasting materials on the outside, so that a single muv may be used to match a number of different outts. The change from one side to the other is readily made without noticeable delay or inconvenience. -In fact, the exceptionally convenient reversibility of this construction makes it desirable for use even as a handbag in summer-time when there is no need for warmth. In such case the structure differs primarily in the omission of heavy Warm filling materials, and in the use of light fabrics or thin leather instead of heavy fabric or fur.

It will therefore be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, many changes and modlcations may be made in the structure disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, de-

fined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A reversible ladys handbag comprising i'lrst and second materials stitched along the side edges to form a sleeve having at least one fully open end, a separate pocket having -a mouth as large as the fully open sleeve end, said pocket being inserted in and peripherally secured to the open end of the sleeve, said sleeve being bent ahoul`v a line extending transversely thereof to bringA the ends of the sleeve together, and reversible fastener means for securing the ends together with the sleeve in folded condition as aforesaid, said sleeve being foldable in one direction or the other in order to bring either the first or second material on the outside of the bag.

2. A reversible ladys handbag comprising first and second materials stitched along the side edges to form a fully open-ended sleeve', pockets having mouths as large as the fully open sleeve ends, one of said pockets being inserted in and peripherally secured to each open end of the sleeve, said sleeve being bent about a line extending transversely thereof to bring the open ends of the sleeve upward with the pocket depending therefrom, and reversible fastener means for securing the ends together with the lsleeve in folded condition as aforesaid, said sleeve being foldable in one direction or the other in order to bring either the iirst or second material on the outside of the bag.

3. A reversible ladys handbag comprising firstv and second materials stitched along the side edges to form a sleeve having a fully open end, a pocket having a mouth as large as the fully open sleeve end, said pocket being inserted in' and peripherally secured to the open end of the sleeve, independent closure means for said pocket alone.' said sleeve being bent about a line extending transversely thereof to bring the ends of the sleeve together, reversible fastener means for securing the `ends together with the sleeve in folded condition as aforesaid, and stiifening means to help hold the bag in desired shape, said sleeve being foldable in one direction or the other in order to bring either the first or second fabric on the outside of the bag.

4. A reversible ladys handbag comprising first and second meterme stitched along thes'lde edges to form a fully open-ended sleeve, pockets hav.

ing mouths as large. as the fully open sleeve ends, one of said pockets being inserted in and peripherally'secured to each open end of the sleeve, stiffening means for the ends of the sleeve in order to hold the same in shape, independent fastener means for closing each of said pockets, said sleeve being bent about a lineex# tending transversely at the middle thereof to bring the open ends of the sleeve together at the top with the pockets depending downwardly therefrom, and reversible fastener means for securing the ends together with the sleeve in folded condition as aforesaid, saidsleeve being foldable in one direction or lthe other in order to bring either the first r second material on the outside'of the bag.

5. A structurel as defined in claim 4 in which the fastener means for securing the ends of -the sleeve in upwardly folded condition comprise eyelets through each corner of the sleeve, and rings or clasps with a reciprocable slip section of suitable dimension to be passed through the adjacent eyelets when the sleeve is folded.

6. A reversible ladys handbag comprising first and second materials stitched along the side edges to form an open-ended sleeve, said materials differing from one another but both being suitable for the exterior of the bag, pockets having mouths as large as the fully open sleeve ends, one of said 7. A reversible mui and ladys handbag comprising-two layers of suitable warm material arranged back to back and securedv along their side edges to form a fully open-ended sleeve, pockets having mouths as largeas the fully open sleeve ends, one of said pockets being'inserted in and peripherally secured to each open end of the sleeve, cardboard stiffening inserts of substantial area concealed within each of the lips of the open ends of the sleeve in order to shape the same,

independent closure means for each of thepockets, said sleeve being folded to bring the twov pocket openings at the top of the muif, and re- Y versible fastener means for securing the open ends of the muif together, said fastener means passing through the aforesaid inserts, said sleeve being foldable in either direction in order to ,bring either the first or the. second material on the outside of the mui.

8. A reversible :nuff and ladys handbag comprising two layers of material arranged back to back and secured along their side edges t'o form an open-ended sleeve, the first and second materials differing from one another but both being suitable for use as an exterior of a muif, a pocket having a mouth as large as the fully open sleeve end, said pocket being inserted in and peripherally secured to the open end of the sleeve, relatively broad flat stiffening inserts of substantial area extending entirely across Athe lips of the open end of the sleeve in order to stiifen and hold the same in shape, said stiffening means being separable not only at their outer edges but also for at least a portion of their end edges in order to facilitate wide opening of and access to the pocket, closure means for the pocket, saidl sleeve being folded to bring the ends of the sleeve together -to form a muff with the pocket opening at the top of the mui, and reversible fastener means for securing the ends of the muff together,

',sai'd fastener means being applied to the inner I ening means at-their outer corners, said sleeve sleeve in upwardly folded condition comprise eyelets spaced downwardly from each corner of the sleeve, said eyelets `passing through and being 10 clamped on the inner corners of the stiiening insert as well as on the materials of the sleeve, and clasps with a reciprocable slip section of suitable dimension to be passed through the adjacent eyelets'when the sleeve is folded. A

15 10. A structure as defined in claim 8, in which a filler of material characterized by bulk and warmth is placed within the sleeve. said nller material terminating short of the inner edges of the stiffening inserts in order not to produce excessive bulk in the separable stiifened edges of the pocket.

11. A structure as dei'lned in claim 8, in which the closure for the pocket comprises a slide fastener, each tape of said slide fastener being received within a. reversely folded plait of the material forming the pocket, said tape being stitched in place by a line of stitching whichV passes through the reversely folded pocket material, the fastener tape, and the stiffening means.

JAMES E. GOLDBERG. 

